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Drafting Skirt Pattern Sew Along Lesson 4: Checking the Fit and Fixing Problems

In today’s lesson, I show you how to check your pattern to make sure everything fits correctly using your muslin/practice skirt that you made in Lesson 3. I also show you how to make some basic changes to the pattern. (Here are the links for Lesson 2 and Lesson 1 if you missed them)

If . . . → Read More: Drafting Skirt Pattern Sew Along Lesson 4: Checking the Fit and Fixing Problems

All Tensed Up? Check Your Threading

I got back last night from a vacation with my mother and am ready to get back to sewing! I was tempted to take my portable machine with me but, since I was riding the train, I decided against it. It turns out I wouldn’t have had time to sew anyway…

As I was perusing . . . → Read More: All Tensed Up? Check Your Threading

Questions and Answers

Question #1: What happened to you?

Answer: I’m pretty sure I fell off the face of the earth. September simply disappeared from my calendar when something unexpected (in a good way) came up. The good news is that I have finally finished the skirt pattern drafting handout–it is almost 20 pages long and has step . . . → Read More: Questions and Answers

No Waste Bias Tape Tutorial

Dear Friends,

Making bias tape can result in a lot of fabric that is wasted when it is cut flat on the bias (unless you want lots of little seam allowances). Then someone devised a method where you create an offset tube. I don’t know about you, but I was never quite satisfied with my . . . → Read More: No Waste Bias Tape Tutorial

Today’s Homework: Pickstitch Zipper

Dear Friends,

The first time I saw a picked zipper was 20+ years ago when I was a special education teacher in New Jersey. One of the paraprofessionals (they were still called teacher’s assistants back then) was making a prom dress for her daughter and was hand sewing in the zipper! I thought she was . . . → Read More: Today’s Homework: Pickstitch Zipper

How to Make Spaghetti Straps or Button Loops

Dear Friends,

I am taking an Illustrator for fashion designers class this semester. My rationale was so that I could create better handouts and tutorials. I decided to do my first Illustrator tutorial on creating spaghetti straps or loops.

If you are like me, I’ve always had trouble turning loops right side out (even with . . . → Read More: How to Make Spaghetti Straps or Button Loops

Tailoring Homework: Preshrink the Fabrics

Before Mrs. Poteet set us free to run down to the garment district to buy our fabric and supplies, she told us that we need to preshrink the wool, rayon lining, interfacing, edge tape, weft, etc.

Confession: I knew I needed to pretreat fabrics I intended to wash at home but I never realized that . . . → Read More: Tailoring Homework: Preshrink the Fabrics

Theatrical Thursday: Shirley Adams and Adjusting the Bust Dart

Generally speaking, women’s sewing patterns (and clothing) are designed for someone with a perfect B cup. Now that is great if you are a perfect B cup. But some of us are “curvier” and some of us are understanding the force of gravity. So, for the rest of us that don’t have a perky perfect . . . → Read More: Theatrical Thursday: Shirley Adams and Adjusting the Bust Dart

Project Run-Clothes-For-The Rest-Of Us

When people hear that I have been taking fashion design courses, they often ask if I’m going to go on Project Runway. My answer is immediate: Ummmm, no. It’s hard enough doing all of that stuff under a deadline for a course, I can’t imagine what it would be like to try to complete an . . . → Read More: Project Run-Clothes-For-The Rest-Of Us

I Mean, Really?? Oh, Come On!

Is it just me, or does this new Donna Karan pattern from Vogue (#V1202) look like she got her skirt and her top stuck in her pantyhose?

Donna Karan Vogue Pattern #V1202

The front is just as much of a mess as the back:

Seriously. Who are the . . . → Read More: I Mean, Really?? Oh, Come On!